Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-24
WHY is THIS THUS?
The WaterwOrks Committee Recommends
a Bid that Causes nuch Comment

The WaterwOrks Commit &c Recommend
Bid that Causes aIuch Comment.
! Yesterday moruing the committee on
waterworks, Messrs. Hill, Daggett and
| Reilly, net in the office of City Engineer
King to open bids for the laying of the
! new mains - the extent Of 1900
! feet, in accordance with the specifications
/ drawn up by the engineer. The follow
ing proposals were received, the bids be-
! ing ut so much per foot:
! Laing & R4tiCan, 81 cents.
| John Tierney, 80 cents.
| John 2. Hughes, IS cents.
! A Oksnder, 81 cents.
! r G. StorIie, 1913 cents.
! After considerable deliber8tion the
committee agreed to recommend the
proposition submitted by Contractor
| Okander, to lay the mains for 81 cents
| per foot. The news spread on the streets
! and when it was learned that an offer of
| l9} cents, or la less than
Okander'S bid, had been IT jrcted, there
was q good deal of grumbling, as well as
a desire to know why the lowest bid had
not been accepted, especially since Mr..
Storrie had been heard TO say that he
could make money out OF the job at the
figures he had sent in.
1t was g plain matter of q little cipher
ing; the difference between the two bids,
l44 cents, on ii 900 feet Of pipe would
represent a saving 10 the city # 1895.
The bid of Mr.. Storrie was accompanied
by his certified check for $1,000, the same
as all the rest. The gentleman was
spoken of by prominent citizens here, as
an old contractor, in every way worthy
of trust. He has done similar work in
several North Texas cities.
reporter asked City Engineer King
for his opinion of the matter, and was an
swered by that gentleman with his Gus
tOmarv frankness; 81 have this to say;
the recommendation of the committee
favOring Mr.. Okander's bid is not final;
the Council can adopt or reject. l don't
see how Mr.. SGorre could
Law the pipe at the tigGres he
bid without mourning q dead
loss There is g very small margin of
profit it at 81 cents. Mr.. Hughes bi
So and he figured the matter very closely.
Still l should favor Mr.. Stories bid.
provided he executes good bond to the
CRY as g guarantee of performance. His
$1,000 check $ too small consideration
undef the circumstances. The
city has suffice ed already
by having contracts that were thrown up.
To avoid delay, litigation and loss, it is
better, think, to give out this work to
some one who nGs reasonable chance for
completing it. Ny Judgment is that 1t
will cost sny contractor 80 cents per foot
TO lSy those mains. l think that
tue gentleman who made, Wha1
| regard as an extraordinary
offer, has simply erred in his caicutions,
and If he undertook it ct tn price ne
offers be would have cause for regret.
Personally, l have no interest in the
matter If Mr.. StOrrie can give
the city a bond for the per-
form8pce of this work, l would
say award him the contract, otherwise /
shall favor allowing Mr. Okander to have
it. The check for $1,000 is too small an
amount to indemnify the city for the very
probs BILE failure that would result by
awarding the work to the lowest bidder,
Mr.. Storrie.
The matter will come before the Coun-
Gil at its next regular meeting on Tues
day, and will perhaps be more fully ex-
planned.